Are We Just Protesting For Protest's Sake?

I mean, come on. Closely examine how we've manipulate our resources (mostly in social media) to drive the exposure for Trayvon Martin's death. We've banded together in a crucial time, expressing our extreme exhaustion with injustice and racial profiling. No need to persuade me: I respect it. Not just because I stood side-by-side with genuine protestors screaming, "I am Trayvon Martin," but because I believe this issue, right now, matters the most in a divided world.

Even our President understands the severity of this hate crime. He understands that if he had a son, he'd look like Trayvon. But I like to play devil's advocate, if only to start a healthy, eye-opening debate.

What happened to KONY 2012 and its viral movement? Have we stopped caring already? Sure, its leader, Jason Russell, has temporarily lost his marbles somewhere in San Diego (between running around naked and masturbating), but does that mean we are automatically done with bringing Joseph Kony and the LRA to justice? It's not trending anymore--and we know that is a huge deal in this trending topic-obsessed era--so do we give up?I'm convinced that, now, we're so thirsty to get behind some movement, any movement, that we end up playing a role for the people around us. Do you really care about what's happening to society or is it just the "cool" thing to do?

Admittedly, I've forgotten all about Occupy Wall Street. Hadn't realized they were still going strong until headlines broke about a six-month anniversary (who knew?). And what about the other recent social movements that we've backed for a short time but really didn't see through?

Our generational-imposed attention deficits paired with our inabilities to simply be patient (sprinkle in a tad bit of self-righteousness) often causes us to jump from one thing to another. Truthfully, we end up totally forgetting about our social responsibilities. It leads me to believe that we just want occupy a bandwagon (anyone heard of Jeremy Lin?) for as long as our buddies or music icons are into it. We're all for changing the world, chanting and singing songs until the going gets tough or the hype fades. We tend to ease up or radical outspokenness when letters need to be written to councilmen and countless amount of hours have to be dedicated to raising awareness. Now, I'm not, in any way, counting out those who really go hard; those who indeed see the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. I just so happen to notice less of my peers being overly gung-ho once the tweeting stops and the real work begins.

I say all that to say this: I know how I feel about protesting, but what do you think, Vixens.

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SZA called for peace and understanding at Billboard's Women In Music event Thursday (Dec. 6).

During her speech for the Rule Breaker award, singer-songwriter recalled today's climate, asking her peers and those watching at home for a little bit of peace.

"I'm sorry for the state of the world honestly, for everybody in this room and I pray that all of us just get through it a little bit easier and just try not to lash out at each other," she said.

The recurring theme of unity among women was also heard on the carpet from artists like Tierra Whack. In addition to her message of love, the "Broken Clocks" singer also thanked her TDE family for rocking with her creative process.

"I'm just so thankful for everybody having patience with me, " she said. Shouting out the key members of her family in attendance, the TDE affiliate gave praise to her mother, father, and grandma. In this brief speech centered around the artist's growth Solána Imani Rowe, known more commonly as her stage name, Rowe everyone for their trust in her.

"I'm grateful for everybody taking the time to have the patience to watch someone grow, it is painful and sometimes exciting but mostly boring. And I am thankful for Top (Top Dawg Entertainment's Anthony Tiffith) for not dropping me from that label. For Peter, who I change my ideas every day and he be like okay I like this," she continued.

Thanking the likes of musical powerhouses like Alicia Keys and Whack, "The Weekend" singer offered her appreciation and condolences to Ariana Grande.

As November comes to a close, many publications will be crafting their year-end lists for all things pop culture. Forbes released a ranking of the world's highest-paid women in music on Monday (Nov. 19), with Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez, and Rihanna holding it down for women of color.

Beyoncé comes in at No. 3 on the list with an earning of $60 million as she made most of her money through her historical Coachella performance, the joint album with husband JAY-Z, Everything is Love, and the Carters' On The Run II Tour in support of its release.

Jennifer Lopez made No. 6 for earnings tallying of over $47 million thanks to her lucrative Las Vegas residency, endorsements, and shows including World of Dance where she serves as a judge.

Rihanna follows behind the "Love Don't Cost A Thing" diva at No. 7 with earnings of over $37.5 million. Although she hasn't toured since 2016—thanks to her cosmetics and lingerie lines, Fenty Beauty and Savage Lingerie—the Bajan pop star has been keeping herself busy.

Forbes' annual list (which factors in pretax earnings from June 1, 2017, through June 1, 2018) has placed Katy Perry at the top with over $83 million in profits due to her gig as an American Idol judge and her 80-date Witness: The Tour that brought in an estimated $1 million per night.

Kelly Rowland has it all and isn't afraid to brag about it on her new single, "Kelly."

Released Thursday (Nov. 22), the singer goes the clubby, confident route while rightfully dropping her attributes like her relationship with God, smoldering looks (a.k.a the drip) among other things. With "Kelly" being the first single since her 2013's Talk a Good Game, the singer comes out swinging, reminding everyone of her power in the game.

The mother of one has promised that her new tunes will be edgier and most honest than her past work that included vulnerable tracks like "Dirty Laundry" and massive hits like "Motivation" and "Commander." Speaking with Vogue over the summer, Ms. Kelly disclosed a few details behind the album.

“It’s about love, loss, and gain and whether it’s professional or with family or whatever, it’s just honest," she said. "I had no choice but to be honest and authentic with this record: it’s about friendship and marriage.”

She also explained a drop in confidence caused her hiatus. “I was thinking about pulling back from recording, but I couldn’t help myself: I still wanted to record. I still felt like I was missing something. The third year just came and left so fast. The fourth year I said: ‘I have to get to work’ and now I’m ready to release some music! I felt like I wasted so much time, and it was my husband who actually called me out on it. He said: ‘Babe, as great as those records were, I think you were nervous, you got gun-shy’, and when he said that it was like boom, a gong went off.”

Glad to have you back, Ms. Kelly. Listen to the eponymous record up top.